Kendrapara, Aug 1: The Forest Department on Thursday demolished parts of the Swad Hotel, which was allegedly encroached and built on forest land, near the Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha's Kendrapara district.

The authorities demolished the dining hall and toilets of the hotel and cleared around 25 decimals of forest land.

The anti-encroachment drive took place after Argus News, a leading TV channel in Odisha, repeatedly aired about the illegal construction of Swad Hotel by violating the forest land regulations.  

The hotel, owned by one Suryakanta Lenka, was allegedly constructed in the Rajnagar area with the support of BJD leader and Rajkanika MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo.

A pond has been dug and a park has been built by the hotel on some encroached land and further probe is underway in this regard, sources said. 

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